Need a jumpstart to creating your goal for the new year or just encouragement that you are making wise progress, these bible verses about goals will inspire you to continue to grow with God.
As the days tick away until the new year, the stress begins to set in while thinking about resolutions and goals and what to plan. Setting goals feels daunting because of the number of hats you wear and the various plans you have to make.
At work, you begin thinking about number goals. What is the quota for the new year? What is the budget? Where does the company need to cut back or grow to move forward?
On the homefront, you start considering your family’s budget and goals for school, home projects, or vacations. You then look at your personal goals for health, weight, finances, and more.
The question then enters your mind, “where does Christ fit into this?” Should your goals look different as a believer? Is it good or bad to set goals? Where do you start in planning goals that reflect eternity?
Before making your new year’s resolutions, consider the insight given in Scripture and allow these Bible verses about goals to encourage and challenge you in the process.
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Is It Biblical to Set Goals?
The Bible says much about planning, and it can feel confusing to know whether or not setting goals is biblical.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Scripture shows that each believer has a plan and a purpose, designed by God for their good and His glory. The instruction in this passage is that the believer would walk in them.
Part of your focus should be walking in the good works that God intended and created for you to do. As you consider what this looks like, it would be beneficial to understand that to walk in your calling takes intentionality and planning.
What should biblical goals look like, then? Philippians 3:3-14 (ESV) says,
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The goals of a believer should center around the ultimate goal of eternity in heaven. As you think about and set your goals, start with a biblical approach ensuring that your goals align with the ultimate goal of eternity with Christ.
Read also: Order My Steps: 21 Inspiring Bible Verses about Planning
Set Goals with Wisdom and Humility
As you approach goal setting with eternity in mind, it’s crucial to have the right heart approach alongside the eternal approach.
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. So, as you plan and set goals for your future, remain humble to recognize that the Lord may correct or change your goals for your good and His glory.
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You then read in James 4:13-15 (ESV), which says,
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
It takes wisdom in the believer to recognize that life is fleeting. It also takes maturity in the believer to know that while you do not know what tomorrow will bring, setting goals with an eternal mindset shows good stewardship.
Setting goals that honor the Lord, further the Kingdom, and use your spiritual giftings makes you a good steward of the time and position of your life.
Read also: 5 Things you MUST do to Discover God’s plan for your Life
Remove Distractions
Are my goals for myself or to honor God?
If your goals are to align with your calling, you need to do a heart check to make sure the plans you are setting for the new year or the future match. Not to say that you choose “bad” goals, but it can be easy to become distracted and miss the forest for the trees.
There is much to unpack in these two passages. But if you are reading through the lens of Scripture about achieving goals, see how your perspective shifts about setting your goals.
Hebrews 12:1-2a (ESV) instructs,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking to grow your faith and be more intentional about prayer and bible study? Check out all of our spiritual growth resources!
As you set your goals for the future, throw out what may be distracting you from being the wife, mom, and employee that God is calling you to be. Look to Christ as your example for living a Godly life, and model your plans and goals after a life consumed with Jesus.
Philippians 1:20-21 (ESV) says,
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Paul wanted Christ to be honored in all he did so that he might not be ashamed. Take an internal pulse on what you are striving toward. Are you striving for or setting goals for yourself that are temporal or eternal?
Read also: 12 Powerful Scriptures on Focus to help you Overcome Everyday Distractions
Commit Your Goals to Prayer
Approach biblical goal setting prayerfully, recognizing that you desire the Lord’s will for your life over your own. Prayerfully consider if your goals align with your calling as a believer.
Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) speaks to believers, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Identify and write out your goals and then take them to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to lead and guide you in the plans He has for you, aligning your path with His will. Pray that He would grant you wisdom to set goals parallel to the calling and giftings He has given you.
Bible Verses about Goals to Encourage Your New Year Planning
Studying and revisiting these Bible verses about goals and plans will help to keep you focused and accountable in your goal-setting approach.
Through Scripture, we can find a balance within the uncomfortable tension believers feel between setting goals for the future and remaining in the present. If you focus your goals on the eternal, keeping your eyes fixed on Christ, you can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will lead and guide you to accomplish much for the sake of the Kingdom.
Want to dive more into biblical goal setting?? Check out: A Complete Guide to Creating a Christian Vision Board in 2022
Written By: Brittany Thieman
Being a working mom is challenging, and the pressure to “do it all” can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, we can learn from Scripture and from other moms to live out our callings while keeping the Gospel at the center of our homes.
My name is Brittany, and I work as a Director of Operations for a company and run a small business while raising my two young daughters and baby boy on the way. My husband is a pastor, and we just recently relocated from North Carolina to Texas for a new church position. The Lord has taught us much in this busy and tiring season. I hope to encourage other mamas in their journey toward pursuing Christ in the messiness, beauty, and fatigue of motherhood.
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